[Photo credit: Candice Rose Knutson of candiceroseknutson.com]

Anne Marie Talon is a force of nature. To speak with her is to be moved. She keeps much of her work secret and hidden from the world but the flashes I get to see cause my heart to leap.We explore the myths of being an artist and her battles with depression.

Show Notes

References

AnneMarieTalon.com for all things Anne Marie!

Don't Follow Your Dreams - an amazing newsletter and story from Anne Marie

Hyperbole and a Half on Depression

Parker J. Palmer on Depression

Workshop Items

Resilience Bridge Building, An amazing PDF by Anne Marie Talon

Music to Move Your Soul

George Ogilvie on BandCamp and SoundCloud and iTunes

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Help change the world for less than a coffee a month!

Taking the Leap! podcast by Sean Howard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

My first of many instant film venture boxes arrived in the mail today! I danced with joy as I ran it up into my studio.

This is the captivating venture of Mr. Jon Wilkening, a stunning pinhole film photographer in Philadelphia. He was my guest on episode 3 of Taking the Leap and also the man responsible for my shocking morning routine for the past 30 days.

Each piece is a signed work of art and they are delivered to your door every month.  It's like having your very own fine art photographer doing commission work for less than a coffee a day!

The most creative art buying venture of 2014. Stunning work and a brilliant idea. Please check out Jon's Instant Film Venture and help support one of the most breathtaking emerging artists in America.

I had the great joy and honour of spending two days with a dear friend in wine country. We explored purpose and meaning, laughed, finger painted, told stories and ate amazing food. The first morning we went for a silent walk along the lake. It was a stormy day and something moved in my soul. I had purpose again.

I almost always find my clarity when I am in nature and near water. Where do you find yours?

It was just over 3 years ago when my partner Eli first mentioned his frustration at being a web developer. Don't get me wrong. He is a kick ass front-end developer and he enjoys his job, but his dream is to become a professional writer. 

He worked in a small communications department at the time and so began trying to take on some editing and writing for the organization, but it was slow going. He already had a lot on his plate and they saw him as a web developer, not a writer.

Today, Eli just released the final episode of a full, episodic audio drama that he wrote, directed and engineered. This is his first published work and I have to say I am beyond proud. He had to figure out casting, formats, directing and a ton of skills far beyond just the writing.

I texted him this morning to say congratulations. Not for completing the series, per se, but for becoming a professional writer. Against all odds and with no budget, he found a way to gather an insane number of people together to perform this six act radio play that he created from a blank piece of paper.

Too many of us confuse being a professional with being paid for something. This is bunkum. I turn to the life-changing The War of Art by Steven Pressfield for the best definition I have ever read.

What exactly are the qualities that define us as professionals?
1) We show up every day.
2) We show up no matter what.
3) We stay on the job all day.
4) We are committed over the long haul.
5) The stakes for us are high and real.
6) We accept remuneration for our labor.
7) We do not overidentify with our jobs.
8) We master the technique of our jobs.
9) We have a sense of humor about our jobs.
10) We receive praise or blame in the real world.

Amateurs don't show up. They give up when the going gets tough. They expect everything to be fun and easy. They don't know how to work and keep working even when everything is failing all around them.

Eli showed up. When others, like myself, chose to say there just wasn't enough time, he would come home from a 10 hour day at his first job to sit down in his studio and work until 2am at his second job. Day after day.

I hope you will join me in congratulating Eli. This has been his dream for a very long time and in these past 3 years I have seen him rise to the call and overcome every challenge that Resistance has thrown at him. If this is the very first thing he produces, I can't wait to see what is next.

Mandy Ross is one of the most open, loving and insightful artists I have ever met. Her weekly love letters inspire me to be more vulnerable and remind me what really matters. She is an emerging artist with a heart that burns as bright as the sun. We explore love, reframing and not being silent about abuse.

You can find Mandy at Mandy Ross Art Studio and on Facebook and Twitter. Join her newsletter to get your love letter every week.

Show Notes

Things We Mentioned

Alive, Mandy Ross Art Studio Blog, Nov. 5, 2014

Morning Pages, Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way

An Awakening, Mandy Ross Art Studio Blog, Nov. 20, 2014

The Stunning Musical Delights!

Last Beat, Jack Savoretti, Tie Me Down EP, 2014

Solitude, Jack Savoretti, Tie Me Down EP, 2014

Downloadable Items

Mandy's Inspirational Desktop Wallpaper (1600x1200 JPEG - personal use only)

Please consider becoming a supporter of the show via Patreon!

Help change the world for less than a coffee a month!

Taking the Leap! podcast by Sean Howard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.